Life seems to be just about perfect at the Massasoit College of Art in the picturesque village of Mellingham. Certainly things couldn't be much better for Preston H. Mattson, chairman of the painting department, as the students prepare for a show honoring his work. But there are potential problems as well. Work-study student Hank Vinnio is a surprisingly gifted artist and his talent may threaten the teachers' sense of superiority. New to the area and without close friends, Vinnio has at least one enemy--and perhaps more.
Another member of the community sows unrest and fear just by his presence. Chickie Morelli appears to be indifferent to the effect he has on people while he lingers on the sidelines, watching and waiting.
When someone is murdered at the college, Chief of Police Joe Silva must study both art and diplomacy as he searches for the killer in a crime that envelopes both town and gown.
This is number 2 in the Mellingham series. Number 3 is "Family Album."
"People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading." Logan Pearsall Smith
I can't imagine a life without books. Some of my best memories of a quiet rainy afternoon when Dad let me poke among his books and pick something to read.
Born and raised in New England, I have long been fascinated by the traditional New Englander and the way of life found here. I try to capture that world in two of my series.
My most recent book, Below the Tree Line, is set on a farm in central Massachusetts. Felicity O'Brien has inherited the family farm, but she has also inherited, from her mother and ancestors, the ability to heal. This is both a blessing and a burden.
My first mystery series features Chief of Police Joe Silva, in the town of Mellingham. The books in the series follow the ups and downs of people in the town but also the changes in Joe's life. He begins as a bachelor and in the most recent books is clearly a happy stepdad.
In the second series, my sleuth is an Indian-American photographer who lives at her aunt's tourist hotel on a popular beach. Raised in India, she has no desire to leave and follow her parents home to the States. She finds herself involved in all sorts of problems trying to keep her aunt's hotel solvent and out of trouble. Her aunt, for her part, despairs of ever turning Anita into a proper young Indian woman. The stories give me a chance to write about a country where I once lived and which I have loved since a child.
All three series are cozies, with fun as well as surprises.